Familiarity of food and drink choices
Overview
When making meals for your child, it helps to think about how familiar the food is and how it looks. This section talks about safe foods your child already knows, how the look of food can affect whether they want to try it, and the difference between fresh and packaged foods. It also shares ideas for making food look more fun and easier for your child to accept.
Importance of safe foods
A 'safe food' is a food that your child consistently feels comfortable eating, usually because they are familiar with its taste, texture, or appearance. For example, it might be something like plain pasta, bread, or a specific type of fruit that your child always accepts without hesitation. Including 'safe' foods in every meal ensures that there is always something on the plate that your child feels comfortable eating. This provides a security blanket as they explore new options and supports calorie intake. How food looks and is presented is usually the first thing that a child processes and can greatly influence a child's willingness to try it. Some autistic children might not recognise that the food presented in a new way is the same food. For instance, a child may be willing to eat a sandwich cut into rectangles but may refuse the same sandwich if it is cut into triangles. It is important to always serve your child at least one recognisable preferred food at every meal and snack. If your child is easily visually overwhelmed, add no more than 1-2 new foods at any one time and without the expectation that they will eat these.
One step at a time: Building towards getting used to different ways food is served
An example of this would be a sandwich during snack time. Serve your child their preferred shape of sandwich for example, they may like their sandwiches as a rectangle.
You will then present their usual rectangles with one small triangle (with the same bread and filling) on their place mat or on a separate plate or in a separate compartment of a divided plate. If you have another preferred food that you would usually serve, for example, peeled apple wedges, add this too (but not touching the unfamiliar triangle sandwich piece).
Downloadable resources
Fresh vs. packaged foods
Parents have shared that having frozen, packaged, and canned foods available can be helpful when introducing new foods. These options can help with the predictability of colour, smell, texture, and taste, which is useful when introducing tooth-friendly foods like carrots. Gently rinse tinned fruits and vegetables in a colander to remove excess sugar and syrup, and to reduce taste differences between brands. This can also make some options seem more similar to fresh versions. Offering both fresh and packaged versions can help children recognise and accept different presentations of the same food. For example, tinned fruits are often a slightly different colour and a different shape from fresh. They are also softer and more slippery and therefore provide a different texture experience too. Fresh foods vary a lot in taste and texture, making them unpredictable. For instance, blueberries can be sweet or sour, and apples can differ in flavour and texture. Carrots can taste different depending on how they are cooked and their type and freshness. Some autistic children prefer packaged foods because they are more predictable. Tinned or frozen fruits and vegetables can be more consistent and thus more acceptable. Dried fruits like apple rings or chewy mango strips are also good options and can be a gateway to introducing more tooth-friendly foods. However, due to their high natural sugar content, they should be consumed in moderation as part of a meal or snack.
Top Tip
Never hide new foods in familiar ones, as children may detect the change, lose trust, and reject the original food. Transparency is key to helping them learn and accept new foods.
Presenting foods in different ways
To increase your child’s familiarity with a variety of foods, try presenting the same foods in different ways. For example:
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If your child likes toast cut into triangles, offer their usual toast along with one small square or finger of toast to one side, without expecting them to eat it.
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If they usually have cheese cubes, provide their usual cubes along with one thinner slice or finger of the same cheese.
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If they enjoy the colour of their usual raw carrot sticks, offer a half teaspoon of grated carrot in a small bowl beside their main plate/bowl.
Some parents have also found it helpful to use small biscuit or fondant cutters to create fun shapes like flowers or stars. Experiment with different ways of serving familiar and new foods, introducing one new experience at a time. Always consider their current and emerging mouth skills to reduce risk of choking.
Downloadable resources
Key messages
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Jump straight to what parents and early years professionals have said about presenting foods and drinks.
